Past Incarnation
By Azi
Chapter 5: Vacation
SOMEWHERE ON A MAGICAL PATH BETWEEN ENGLAND AND JAPAN
An envelope disappeared without a sound. Had it been a living being, it might have felt something, but it wasn't. It knew nothing of its existence, let alone its ability to disappear or its contents.
The man who sent it knew. The man who will receive it will know. Anyone who could intercept it and open it would find the shattering news inside. The envelope held a letter, one that was written in a hurry.
My Dear Cute Little Descendent:
Do I detect jealousy in your words? You seemed very interested in Sakura-chan's friend. His full name, if I remember correctly, is Adan Keane. He is from the Northwest. I believe he teaches English at the same school Daidouji-san has her music class. The three of them became good friends over the year, but I think he and my sweet half-daughter wish to be more than friends.
Of course, they are not meant to be together. Be nice to him. I believe that soon a girl will show up to take him away from Sakura-chan. When that happens, she'll probably repay those who have hurt him. I get flashes of her when Sakura-chan writes about him – she's got spunk.
I checked the auras you mentioned. I believe your fears were correct. They were coming from the West. I have a bad feeling about this, but until we have proof, we can't do anything.
The best I can say is keep training. Make sure the girls train too. When something happens, we have to be ready to deal with it. You may even want to train Adan as he has a little magic – it may help. We will need all the help we can get.
Sorry for the bad news.
Your ancestor, Hiiragizawa Eriol
Of course, the letter knew nothing of this. Nor did it notice when its journey stopped. It landed safely in the hands of the 'Cute Little Descendent.' Those hands were attached to strong arms and a powerful body with a head of chocolate brown hair. The amber eyes that were meant to read it could make hearts melt, but the letter didn't notice: it was inanimate.
THE NORTHWEST
Three girls filled a car with giggles as they talked about everything they wanted to do on their vacation. The youngest, an adorable little five-year-old, piped up, "We'll go swimming, won't we? I want to go to the beach." Her blond curls bobbed as she shook with excitement.
"Of course, Hanni. If you want to go swimming, we'll go to the beach every day until you get tired of it." A redhead grinned back from the passenger's seat.
"You're the greatest, Aunty Ri!" The little girl squealed.
The driver laughed. "She's not really your niece, is she?" The twenty-two-year-old already knew the answer but had to ask anyway.
"No M'lie, she's not my niece." The redhead answered as if she'd answered that question a million times. "Her father insister that she call me that. Frankly, I'm pretty much old enough to be anyway." Her blue eyes glittered with mischief as she shuddered. "Besides, my brother? The thought is sickening, ugh!"
Her friend laughed again, "Ria, sis anyone ever tell you that you're crazy?"
"All the time M'lie, all the time."
"Ellie, why is Aunty Ria crazy? She seems normal to me."
The girls burst out laughing again.
"When are we going to get to the Island? I'm getting exhaustipated," a small voice called through the laughter.
The girls checked their surroundings before answering. "Soon Han, we'll be on the bridge in a few minutes."
"Yippee! I can't wait!" The child started bouncing again.
The banter had been going on for hours as the two friends took Ria's cousin her first vacation without her parents. In reality, the two older girls were celebrating their graduation from university. This trip was supposed to be the last adventure before joining the 'real world.'
"Mei, what's Will doing now? I know he's got a job, but he wouldn't tell me about it. He said I'd go all self-righteous on him and preach about the evils of money and power."
"I swear Ri, you've got a million different nicknames from me," the girl laughed before responding to Ria's question. "He's working for a bank somewhere in the Capital, you know how he is…"
"Humph, William the banker…yeah, that fits." Ria wasn't surprised at all; it suited the boy who had become a brother to her. "I just hope he doesn't get greedy. At least I'll be there to check up on him in a few months." She turned her head to look at her friend, "Are you still planning on taking classes up there? It'll be like old times."
"I'm still thinking about it. I've been accepted already, I just have to make up my mind. When do you start your training anyway?"
"September"
"Really?! Well, if I decide to go we can make a road trip of it." She started planning in her head as she paid the toll at the end of the bridge.
"Hey Hanni! We've crossed the bridge. We'll be at the campground in about thirty minutes."
"Eeeee! Then can we have a campfire and oh boy! I get to sleep in a tent!"
"Your 'niece' is obviously excited. She's exactly like you."
Ria smirked, "I know, it's in the blood."
"Hey Ellie, earlier you said that Aunty Ri had a million nicknames for you. What's your real name?" The childish voice asked curiously from the backseat.
The older girls laughed at the question. "Silly, my real name is MeiLie. I suppose you've never heard anyone use it though."
After eating a dinner cooked over a campfire and getting
acquainted with the campground washrooms, the exhausted girls settled down
to peaceful dreams.
The next few days consisted of sightseeing, swimming and shopping. All three girls were enjoying themselves, but Ria had grown distracted. Her dreams were becoming less inviting every night and she had an awful feeling that something was very wrong.
Ria sighed.
"Aunty Ri? What's wrong? You're letting out too much air." Concerned blue eyes looked up at their 'aunt' begging for an answer.
"Nothing at all, Han. I just breathed in too much air in the first place." The answer was followed by a yawn.
The child approached her other travel companion. "Ellie, can you find out what's wrong with Aunty Ri? I know something bad is happening and I know she knows too. I just want everything to be okay."
MeiLie watched in amazement as the napkin the girl held shifted, grew feathers and flew away. "Of course, cutie. Why don't you go play over there while I talk to her?" She smiled as she pointed to the playroom Hannah had been eyeing for a while.
"Eeeee!" Hannah jumped up and ran excitedly to the other playing children.
"So Ri, are you going to tell me what's wrong?" MeiLie had no wish to be tactful; she knew Ria got annoyed when people skirted their questions.
"Did you know that Decision Maker Stuart died?" Ria turned to look at her friend long enough to see her shake her head. "I saw it in a dream a few nights before we left. I ignored it, thinking nothing of it, but I've been having more dreams lately. Something bad is happening down there now and I have a feeling it's going to come here." She paused for a moment as if steeling herself for what she said next. "Can I borrow the car? I've got to get our families out of there if I can."
MeiLie's eyes opened wide with astonishment. "Bit Ri! You can't drive! Let me go, or we can all go."
Ria shook her head. "No, I have to go and I don't want to ruin Hanni's vacation by making her leave too soon. You stay here and make sure she has the best vacation ever. I'll be back as soon as I can. The car will be fine, trust me Mei."
MeiLie closed her eyes for a second, then opened them and sighed. "Don't do that, it's rude," she said, flashing a dirty look at her friend.
A look of innocence crossed Ria's face as she asked, "Do what? I wasn't the one planting thought in your head. That must have been someone else with 'weird abilities.' I'm perfectly innocent." She looked around before continuing. "Of course, not many people here are capable of magic. I promise I won't hurt your car."
"Fine, but see if you can get Will's family to come back with you. He'd want them to be safe." MeiLie finally gave in and tossed her keys to her friend.
"Eeeee. Thank you. Don't worry, I'll be back in a flash." Ria snapped her fingers to demonstrate her point as she ran off to bid farewell to her cousin.
"Hanni honey, I'm going on a little trip. I want you to stay with Mei and be a good girl. You take care of her, okay?" Ria paused and gave her cousin a look that transferred her meaning. The girl nodded in response. "I promise I'll be back in a few days – you've got nothing to worry about. You can stay in a hotel; I'll take care of the camping gear. Now promise me you'll meet me at the farmhouse every night until I get back. Just like we practiced." She waited for Hannah's reply, hoping the girl would agree.
Hannah smiled, "I will Aunty Ri. Just be careful, something's not right." The normally happy face flashed with seriousness for a moment the returned to a cheerful look.
Ria picked the girl up in a bear hug and whispered
in her ear, "I'll see you in your dreams Hanni. Don't worry, everything
will be all right." She put her cousin down and ran toward the car thinking,
'it has to be.'
After a couple hours of driving, Ria pulled into a park ground for a long nap. First she stepped out and examined the car. 'Not a scratch...not bad for my first time driving. I guess my protection spell worked.' After getting back in, she locked all the doors then made the car appear empty for the night. She slid the keys into her pocket and curled up in the back seat to sleep. 'I know I'll be reclining in the front before dawn.' With that, she let sleep carry her to the farmhouse where she checked up on her cousin and got some rest.
True to her prediction, Ria awoke at dawn to find
herself reclining in the front passenger's seat. She wasn't surprised;
the back seat was not made for sleeping. Shrugging the change off, she
pulled the keys out of her pocket and slid into the driver's seat. In no
time, she was back on the highway heading for Mei's parents' home. 'Let
them be home.' It became her mantra.
A redheaded girl pulled her car off the highway into a restaurant's parking lot and sighed. Her mission to save family and friends had crumbled as the hours passed. Either people weren't home or they were unwilling to leave their lives. 'Hanni's parents might have come if they hadn't been in the neighboring country,' the girl thought.
"Well," she said to herself while coming out of the restaurant, "I've got one stop left before I call this trip an utter failure." She got back in the car and started heading for Will's house. "I can't believe my own family wouldn't listen to me."
Forty minutes later, a car slowly drove up to a farmhouse. Not the same house where Ria and Hannah meet though: this one is larger. A girl stepped out of the car and made her way to the front door. She grinned as the door opened before she knocked.
"Hello Little Bird!" Ria's voice rang out as she greeted the sixteen-year-old girl on the other side of the door. "Your family home?"
'Little Bird' sighed as she stepped aside to let the older girl enter. "You know, Ria, I have a name…" Her complaint trailed off as she noticed her companion laughing.
"Of course you do Rynn," Ria replies with a little added stress on the name. "I just like the one I gave you better. I mean, really, you're so tiny and you flit about everywhere, not to mention you've got a great singing voice." Rynn rolled her eyes at that and Ria frowned. "You don't hate me for it, do you?"
"No." Rynn looked at the older girl, mischief in her eyes. "How can I hate my older brother's 'big sister'? Besides, you bring too much entertainment when you come."
"That's good to know," Ria laughed. "Now, parents! I need to talk to them. Then you can go find your sister and pack some clothes for a few weeks." Her tone quickly turned serious.
"Are we going somewhere? What about school? Who else is – " Rynn's barrage of questions got cut off by Ria's hand.
"Later."
Ria spent the next few hours explaining everything to Will and Rynn's parents. The Sutters didn't laugh at Ria's 'stories.' In fact, they had discovered and fostered the girl's magical abilities. She really was as much a daughter to them as the two girls who were in their rooms packing for a mysterious trip.
They had her recount her dreams many times and then analyzed them until they were satisfied they hadn't missed anything. When they were done, Mrs. Sutter sighed.
"I guess it's settled then. We should leave for our own safety. I'm so sorry your family wouldn't listen, dear," she said, laying a hand on Ria's shoulder.
"Frankly, I expected it. I'm just sorry Mei's family wasn't home. I know she'll worry about them."
"Poor MeiLie." Mrs. Sutter wiped a tear from her eye as she thought about her son's girlfriend. "Just one thing Ri. How did you get here? We saw MeiLie's car, but she's not here and I didn't think you drove."
"I don't," Ria grinned, "but I made an exception for this." Seeing the look on the woman's face, she continued. "I didn't get caught! And you can check the car for scratches." The last part was directed at Mr. Sutter.
Will's father stood up laughing. "Perhaps I will.
Mei wouldn't like her car returned with dents all over it. In the meantime,
why don't you take a nap while we pack a few things?" Ria complied willingly.
Ria awoke a few hours later to find both the car and the Sutters's van filled with clothes, camping gear, and food. She grinned thinking that they don't waste time. She was more relaxed now, almost happy. While sleeping, she checked up on Hannah and found that the girls had had a wonderful time shopping that day.
A seventeen-year-old girl approached her. "Dad wants to know when 'Sleeping Beauty' would like to leave."
"Good morning to you too Sara." Ria tossed back in reply.
Sara's lips curled into a smirk as she looked at the dark sky. "It's hardly morning Ria. But really, are you ready to leave yet? Where are we going? Should I bring the cat with us?"
"By all means, bring the cat. We're going to the campus
first – I think I forgot something there. Then we're going to the Island,"
Ria called back as she grabbed her keys and ran out the door. Sara followed,
scooping up the cat on her way out.
When they got to Ria's university campus, they saw no one except two Japanese students. Ria stopped the car and got out. She wondered why they were just sitting outside at this time of night (or morning). The moonlight hit her hair making it glow softly. The two students looked at her in wonder, both thinking the same thing: 'she looks like an angel.'
"Can I help you with something?" The girl finally asked.
Ria smiled. "Actually, I was wondering why you were sitting out here in the wee hours of the morning."
The boy grinned rather goofily, his closed eyes looking like half moons. "We were just trying to figure out hot to get to the Island before graduation. See, Chiharu-chan wants to go, but we don't have a car."
"I see…" Ria thought for a second then looked back for approval. Mrs. Sutter nodded. "It just so happens that we are heading for the Island right now. We've got extra room, you're welcome to come along."
"Really?" Ria nodded. "Thank you very much. By the way, I'm Mihara Chiharu and this is Yamazaki Takashi. What can we call you?"
"Call me Ria," she replied smiling.
Takashi shook his head. "I think I like Tenshi better. How about you?" he asked, looking at Chiharu. She nodded in agreement.
"You're definitely an angel."
Hours later, the two vehicles passed through the tolls on the bridge and aimed for the nearest hotel. Like they were homing pigeons, they knew exactly where MeiLie and Hannah were staying.
"I suppose it's too early for check-in?" Mr. Sutter asked his wife.
"Probably," she replied, "but MeiLie is in there."
They waited in the lobby until they heard a screech.
"Aunty Ri!" A streak of blond curls rushed past everyone and latched itself onto the well-missed cousin.
Ria laughed. "Hello Han. I trust you've been good?" She hugged the girl close, silently asking forgiveness for not saving their families.
Hannah straightened in her cousin's arms. "A perfect angel," she replied while trying to look like a model child.
"Good." Ria turned to MeiLie, who had finally reached the group. "Your keys, Madame. You'll find your car in perfect condition and with a full tank of gas."
Ria sighed and looked around her. 'It's a start,' she thought. 'We'll need lots more, but this will have to do for now. I only wish I had a clearer picture of what was going on.' She looked up at the hazy sky and took a deep breath. She almost choked on the air when she realized what the haze was coming from: smoke. "Um…I don't know if anyone else has noticed this, but it's hazy out and the air smells of smoke. What are the chances of it coming from a large fire or a whole lot of large fires in the South? Could this be a sign that it has already begun?"
Her words hung on the air as fear for the future gripped everyone.
Pronunciations and Meanings
MacQuin – (MAH-kwen)
Ria – (REE-ah)
MeiLie – (may-lee) This name is supposed to be a mixture of her grandmothers' names. It has no meaning.
M'lie – (MMLEE) like mmmmmmcookies
Rynn – (rin) means 'songbird'